I'm a beginner what comes to breeding and I have my first two couples incubating at the moment. The other pair are pet type, they have 3 eggs and all are fertile. She's been sitting on them well from the day she lay and first is due on the 11th.

 

The other couple then is my - not so succesfull - show type couple. Not really show show type, as they're quite small and don't have so very long feathers, but recognizable as show type anyways. This pair has quite a long history in the breeding cage as I tried them together first time in July-Sep 2008. But they didn't even succeed in mating, hen was interested in the nest box and ready for mating though so I put them on a break and then together again in November, still very quiet. In december I put this other couple, pet type, into another breeding cage and after seeing/hearing them, the show type cock too started trying to mate with the hen (I never saw a proper try) and only 2 days after the pet type hen laid and egg, the show type hen laid and egg too. Just that hers are empty. Both couples are first timers.

 

So this show type couple had two eggs 26th and 28th of Dec. The hen had been sitting on them quite a lot and then she spent a whole night outside a box. After this she lay one more egg. I candled those some 3 days later and they seemed all empty. She took a 4 days break to lay one more (so the eggs were laid 26.12, 28.12, 30.12 and 3.1). After the third (and the night spent outside) she has been sitting on them very well. Anyways. I've candled the eggs a couple of times now and they all seem to be empty.

 

Now I wonder what I should do. The latest egg was laid on the 3rd of this month, hen has been sitting on it well and it still shows very empty as well as all the other 3 eggs. The couple has been in the breeding cage for 2½ months now, heavier feeding and incubating for the last 4 - 3 weeks. Should I remove these infertile eggs and wait for yet new ones? Or is it time to put the couple on a break and let them have some other company too?

 

I have offered them plenty of fresh food, egg food, calcium, good lighting and a dark nice sized nest box. I think the problem here is the cock does not yet know how to mate succesfully. All I am worried about, if the couple is already too worn out from attempting or do I dare to ask them for more eggs my removing the first ones and keeping them in the breeding cage? Do the show type couples usually have more difficulties what comes to mating? Their plumage is not long, so I don't think plucking the feathers from the cloaca area would do the trick here...

 

Please, if you have any advice, I would appriciate it!

I'm a beginner what comes to breeding and I have my first two couples incubating at the moment. The other pair are pet type, they have 3 eggs and all are fertile. She's been sitting on them well from the day she lay and first is due on the 11th.

 

The other couple then is my - not so succesfull - show type couple. Not really show show type, as they're quite small and don't have so very long feathers, but recognizable as show type anyways. This pair has quite a long history in the breeding cage as I tried them together first time in July-Sep 2008. But they didn't even succeed in mating, hen was interested in the nest box and ready for mating though so I put them on a break and then together again in November, still very quiet. In december I put this other couple, pet type, into another breeding cage and after seeing/hearing them, the show type cock too started trying to mate with the hen (I never saw a proper try) and only 2 days after the pet type hen laid and egg, the show type hen laid and egg too. Just that hers are empty. Both couples are first timers.

 

So this show type couple had two eggs 26th and 28th of Dec. The hen had been sitting on them quite a lot and then she spent a whole night outside a box. After this she lay one more egg. I candled those some 3 days later and they seemed all empty. She took a 4 days break to lay one more (so the eggs were laid 26.12, 28.12, 30.12 and 3.1). After the third (and the night spent outside) she has been sitting on them very well. Anyways. I've candled the eggs a couple of times now and they all seem to be empty.

 

Now I wonder what I should do. The latest egg was laid on the 3rd of this month, hen has been sitting on it well and it still shows very empty as well as all the other 3 eggs. The couple has been in the breeding cage for 2½ months now, heavier feeding and incubating for the last 4 - 3 weeks. Should I remove these infertile eggs and wait for yet new ones? Or is it time to put the couple on a break and let them have some other company too?

 

I have offered them plenty of fresh food, egg food, calcium, good lighting and a dark nice sized nest box. I think the problem here is the cock does not yet know how to mate succesfully. All I am worried about, if the couple is already too worn out from attempting or do I dare to ask them for more eggs my removing the first ones and keeping them in the breeding cage? Do the show type couples usually have more difficulties what comes to mating? Their plumage is not long, so I don't think plucking the feathers from the cloaca area would do the trick here...

 

Please, if you have any advice, I would appriciate it!

 

Hi Falki, I'd be inclined to put them back where they can fly for a couple of months and get back into condition again and then try them again in a breeding cabinet. I breed show budgies and have never pulled vent feathers. It could be an inexperienced cock bird or it might be that either or both birds were at the wrong part of their fertility cycles. Cock birds also have cycles of fertility. If that were the case, a couple of months of flying together might just get their cycles in synch. Also give them a chance to get past this extreme summer heat. Jaz

I agree with Falki but I surpose it is freezing over there in Finland

I agree with everything jazznjj says :sad:

I agree with Falki but I surpose it is freezing over there in Finland

 

Oh oops! Didn't realise Falki was in Finland. Jaz

Yeah, it's -20 here!! But the birds are warm inside.

 

The hen is the kind that doesn't get brown cere ever, so it's hard to tell if she's in condition or not. She's dropped a whole bunch of feathers now that she's been sitting, maybe too much, so I think I really better give them a break.

 

Thanks for your advise, I'd really rather see them with the others after such a long time and I don't think they would mind it either. At least they've bonded now, so it hopefully won't take so long to get things going next time.